Thanks for the advice and info!
That seems like a good idea using a dollar bill for a tire repair instead of the boot and it will save me some money
staehpj1, I'm shooting to get my total load under 30llbs. I have already made quite a few modifications to the gear list on my blog thanks to everyone's input. I'd like to avoid sending stuff home as much as possible to avoid shipping fees but its a good option. I'm impressed about your fourteen pound load, I think that might be considered ultralight for even a hiker!